Introduction by Emily Liu

In Grace Ma’s poems, she explores how people who live in the same city lead drastically different lives shaped by their expectations, privilege, and troubles. In Ma’s poem “Better Days,” she highlights the contrast between privilege and struggle through the life of a homeless woman. The woman is referred to as ‘she’, keeping her identity vague to represent others facing the same struggles. Ma writes of the comparisons between ladylike “women dressed in their best,” while she becomes “something she’s not” to survive. More comparisons highlight the dangers of being vulnerable at night without a home, where her only protection is her German Shepard. Ma does not resolve her poem with an ending, forcing us to rethink the unknown reality we often overlook when we see homeless people. In “Avenues Away,” Ma uses rhymes and alternating lines to contrast a boy and a girl with opposite resources and mindsets, despite attending the same school. Although their actions mirror each other, the girl has more privileges, such as being able to buy water, take the classes she wants, and being driven home. The girl’s environment of support and choice has cultivated a mindset that encourages learning and curiosity, whereas the boy’s environment has created a limiting mindset, believing “he has no way to advance”. Ma’s poem brings awareness to stark differences between upbringings and privileges that shape a person’s belief in their future. Ma’s poem “hello?” is intentionally unformatted with fragmented lines, portraying the chaos of her sister’s mind. Her sister’s artistic struggles and the societal pressure for it to be perfect consume and isolate her in her room. Written from a sibling’s perspective, it explores themes of misunderstanding, worry, perfectionism, and how they can distance family members. Ma’s poems touch on everyday issues she sees in her life that many can relate to. She writes in powerful rhymes and imagery, evoking emotional understanding, allowing the reader to connect with parts of her writing.

Avenues Away

The blonde haired girl walks down the halls of the shiny waxed floors
The tan skinned boy walks down the halls through the broken doors
She sits next to the window reaching from the ceiling to the ground
He sits next to the smartboard, yet there’s barely any sound
She glances at the textbook shelf, the possibilities are endless
He glances at the textbook shelf, it’s a mess
She grabs an ice cold water from the machine close by
He grabs the knob of the leaky water fountain, maybe it’s still worth a try?
She quickly rushes to change into her gym uniform
He quickly rushes to gym in his regular clothes, it’s the norm
Today she learned how to ballroom dance
Today he learned how he has no way to advance
As she approaches the cafeteria there’s no line
As he approaches the growing line, he begins to whine
For her lunch period, many people bring their own
For him, school provided lunch is all he’s known
She takes a few more classes, all catered to her interests
He takes a few more classes for credits, failing every test
She leaves school in her mode of transportation
He leaves school in his mode of transportation
She turns onto Warren ave in her mom’s car
He turns onto Warren ave too, but home is very far

Better Days

Today she settles in the corner of a bank
The bags left on her usual park bench were snatched away
She watched the officers gather around as her heart sank
Oh well tomorrow will be a better day

The air in mid July was hot
She could not afford to keep her layers on
She folds her long hair into her cap to become something she’s not
In her dreams she pictures a big grand house with a beautiful lawn

It is around four in the morning when two men try to approach
Her german shepherd gets up to bark
The men don’t dare to step any closer as they reproach
Anything can happen in dark

The sun comes quicker than she would’ve liked
She looks across the street at a group of beautiful women dressed in their best
Unlike her, they seem so ladylike
She looks down at her little nest

The day has just begun, but she’s not sure she wants to stay
She glances at herself through the glass doors reflection
Oh well tomorrow will be a better day

hello?

i think my sister has a problem
her room is a mess
crumpled papers
everywhere
each project she works on needs to be perfect
whatever that word means to her
anyways
i dont understand her art
clashing patterns and fabrics
i was taught to never do such a thing
she doesnt listen to anyone
i offer her pages of my old magazines
no
not good enough
how
i think to myself
she’ll work on her pieces
for days at a time
sometimes weeks
we’ve given up on trying
to get her to come downstairs
even for dinner

*

Grace Ma is a junior at Stuyvesant High School who is passionate about bringing light to issues that are usually overlooked. In her free time she enjoys tutoring kids as she believes that they are our future. Her consistent love for learning about all sorts of world history has taught her the injustices of society and the importance of not falling down those paths once again. Her work for this project was heavily influenced by what she sees on a daily basis: homelessness, education inequality, and a lack of support for growing artists. She hopes her poetry will help ease people into facing these harsh realities.